Project Ao Dai

May 18, 2006

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Chloe Dao, the winner of the second season of "Project Runway" on Bravo, made two appearances this weekend at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles to promote its new exhibition "Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age."

Dao, a sponsor of the exhibition, flew to San Jose from Houston with her mother, Luong Thuc Hue. At Saturday night's VIP reception, Chloe toured the exhibit of intricately detailed Vietnamese garments and answered questions from the guests, who paid $50 apiece for the event. She talked about her upcoming plans, her thoughts on the ao dai exhibition and who she's kept in contact with from "Project Runway."

Dao said she hasn't made an ao dai, but had wanted to make one for the weekend in San Jose. "I wanted to make my own interpretation, but I ran out of time," she said. Her mother, however, was wearing an ao dai she designed herself.

Of her "Project Runway" competitors, she said she still talks to Emmett McCarthy, Diana Eng, Nick Verreos and fellow finalist Daniel Vosovic. What about design diva Santino Rice, who was also a finalist at Fashion Week in New York? "I have Santino's number, but I haven't called him yet," Chloe said.

What's coming up for her? She hasn't done another collection since the showe ended but wants to get to one in the next year or so. Smiling, she said she also hasn't gotten her "Project Runway" winnings and hopes she gets her money and her car soon.